Many cleaning products have been developed for cleaning ceramic tile and grout. Specifically, such cleaning involves the removal of hard water salts, soap scum or curd and greasy-type residues from such surfaces. Typically, such products contain wetting agents to penetrate the soil, sequestering agents for removing hard water salts and soap scum and possibly thickeners for preventing the running off of such products when they are applied to vertical surfaces. Typical of such cleaning compositions are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,371,623 to Henderson; 2,544,649 to Bersworth; 3,001,945 to Drew et al; 3,454,500 to Lancashire; 3,484,379 to Mankowich; 3,870,560 to Shumaker; 3,905,909 to Bauer; 3,965,048 to Murtaugh; 3,968,048 to Bolan; 4,020,016 to Sokol and 4,028,261 to Petersen et al.
Although such products perform quite well on ceramic tile surfaces which are relatively non-porous, they do not satisfactorily remove stains on grout surfaces which are much more porous. In contrast to the aforementioned prior art, Applicant has surprisingly found that quite effective tile and grout cleaning compositions can be obtained for removal of the soil and stains associated therewith by providing for a composition which is capable of existing as a thixotropic gel at room temperature and providing a water-impermeable outer skin upon application thereof to the tile or grout surface.